HALO participating in giving challenge

The HALO Foundation is partnering with Global Giving for a 30-day challenge during the month of September.

Global Giving “is a charity fundraising website that gives social entrepreneurs and nonprofits from anywhere in the world a chance to raise the money that they need to improve their communities. Projects are listed on the Global Giving website and donors donate directly through the site.

The HALO Foundation “is committed to enhancing the living conditions and providing art therapy for orphans worldwide.” It is also committed to providing art therapy for children in Jefferson City and other service areas.

The HALO Foundation’s goal is to raise $35,000 on Global Giving in September to fund a Halo orphanage in Kenya for a year. As long as the Foundation raises $5,000 from 40 donors by the end of the month, it will earn a permanent spot on Global Giving.

A couple has offered to match funds raised in September up to $10,000.

“Global Giving is an international outlet for people to find out about us,” said Lacy Voight, program director for the Halo Foundation. “People can log on all around the world and type in key words that could link them to us.”

In the challenge, the foundation is competing with other nonprofits that are also registered with Global Giving.

“So far we’ve been in the top 10 organizations out of 350 from around the world (on Global Giving),” Voight said. “With the attention we’ve gotten and the donations we’ve gotten so far, we’re just really wanting to push that more people get on and donate so that we can continue to get more funding from them (Global Giving).”

Elle Benage, director of HALO’s Jefferson City Learning Center, said this project is the Halo Foundation’s first partnership with Global Giving.

“Global Giving is a great organization because all of the nonprofits must go through an application process,” Benage said. “It’s a great way for us to get our name out to a wide range of donors.”